The UAE has completed the development of a photovoltaic solar plant that will provide the Solomon Islands with 7 per cent of its electricity needs.

 

Working with the government of New Zealand, the one-megawatt solar plant, developed by Masdar, was built with a Dh183 million grant as part of the UAE-Pacific Partnership Fund, supported by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.

 

“Today’s inauguration is a testament to how strong public-private partnerships can provide solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, from climate change to energy security, to socio-economic development," said Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation.

 

The plant is expected to offset 1,254 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions yearly because, before the solar overhaul, the Solomon Islands sourced 90 per cent of its electricity from diesel.

 

“Renewable energy has become a key enabler of economic and social development across developing countries," said Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director general of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.

 

The UAE-Pacific Partnership Fund was launched after the International Renewable Energy Agency, based in Abu Dhabi, highlighted renewable energy as a key growth enabler at the 2012 Pacific Leaders’ Meeting.

 

The agreement between the UAE and New Zealand for the solar power project in Solomon Islands was signed in 2015. (The National)